Automatic air valve



F. ZIGANEK AUTOMATIC AIR VALVE Filed Sept. 1, 194a Aug. 1 5, 1950 g mam tow Z 2 garzeli' Rra mafid Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC AIR VALVE Ferdlnandziganek, Detroit, 'Mich. Application September 1, 1948,'Ser'ial*No.-47,195 (1:01am; (01. 236- 66) This invention relates to automatic air valves ladapted'to be attached to steam radiators and :the like and operable by means of a ibimetal spring, and the primary object of the'linvenrtion is to lprovide a valve of the charaoterzindicated comprising the fewest ,possiblezparts.

Another object of the invention .is -to,;.provide lax-valve of the character indicated above, the component parts -oif-which are adapted to be easily and readily disassembled, easily cleaned and :just as easily and readily reassembled.

:A further 'object'of the invention is torprovide avalve of the character indicated above the outlet'of which is arranged so-that the hissing and whistling noises commonly ocourring in the valves of this kind :known and used -heretotore zareleliminated. V

Aqstill further object of the :invention to -providea valve :of the character indicated above :in which the :air passing *throughsaid valveimparts a rotating :movement to the :valve while it :movesrinto closing or openingposition -=towar=d or away 'fromits seat,'whereby a smooth ope!"- ation of the valve isinsured.

additional object of :theiinvention is toprovide a valve of ithe -.character indicated above :comprising a zvalvetball supported 'hy 1a- -magnetized element preventingall chanoes of the valve ball to stick in closing position enraocount oiunoisture adhering "to the valve seat- The invention resides in the details of construction, and in-the combination and-arrangement 7 of the several parts of the improved "automatic air valve,cwhereby certain important advantages :arev :attained, morefullysetiorth. QIll'lS, however, to be understood that the invention is not to be limited or restricted to :the exact construction and combination of parts describedin the specification and shown in the drawings, -but "that such changes and modifications can be made which fall within the "scope of the claim appended hereto :and definitely pointing out the novel fea- 'tureso'f the-invention. In thexseveralefigures of the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of Ether invention similar parts are designated by similar reference characters and .in order that the invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in section with parts in elevation of a valve constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as will he -.heremafter 2 substantially son the line 2-:2-of Figure 1, look ingzinth'e direction-o'fcthearrows;

Figure :3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of "Figure 1,4001:- ling in the direction of the arrows; :za-nd .Figure 4 is a view :in perspective of the U sh'a'pedspring. I v;

The automatic air valveas 'herein'embodle'd comprises a a tubular housing :l flzhaving both of its :end surfaces finished. The upperend portion of said .housingis provided" with an internal thread H and a :cap 12 has on its lower :portion rannutside vthread :13 adapted to engage the :internalthread H At the upper end of the out 'sidethread :13 an externally projecting "circum' ferential shoulder M. is 'fOImed"0I1-lthG .cap 12. tannularzgasket" I 5 preferably made from lead :is earranged "between the upper end surface :of the :tubular housing 1.0 and the shoulder 4410171 thecap 12. Aplurality of small holes 46 located equidistant-1y 'on a circle "drawn about the axis of the cap 12 are drilled into said cap from the under side thereof. =A valve guide :holellv is arranged coaxially with the'cap l2 and extends upwardly therein :from the under side -thereofL The diameter of the valve guide vhole H is such vthat said hole routs into the small holes 16 and the guide hole extends slightly deeper into the cap than-the smallholes. An :air outlet holed-8 of a :smallerdiameter than the guide hole 11 extends .coaxiall-y with aidguide hole compard- -tively short distance upwardly therefrom and communicates with the atmosphere througha hole :19 extendingirom the outside of thecap 12 at an obtuse :angle to the outlet-hole $8. The ,junctureoi the-outlet hole 18 with the valveguide hole I! forms the valve seat 20. the wall of the guide hole H "and the-lower end surface of the oap-12 are carefully lapped tom the valve body V, which will be described now. 7

The valve body V is preferably made from stainless steel and comprises a substantially cylindrical plug 21 vfittingslidably into the tubular housing HI. A plurality of axially extending, equidistantly spaced grooves 22, are provided "in thefciroumferentialsurface of the l lug'iljrand a' coaxially arranged valve stem 23 extends upwardly at right angles to the upper surfaceof said .plugil. "The valve stem fits -slidably into the guide hole l1. The'upper end surface of the valve stem 23 is concaved to receive a valve ball 24 adapted to fit tightly onto the valve seat 20 and to close the air outlet hole 18. An in verted cone 25 is formed on the under side of the valve plug 2| and is arranged coaxially with and a comparatively small air hole 30 said plug. Preferably the apex angle of said cone is a right angle.

The lower end portion of the tubular housing I is provided with an internal thread 26 and a plug P has an outwardly threaded upper portion 21 adapted to engage the internal thread 26 in the housing 10. The lower end portion 28 of the plug P has a smaller diameter than the upper portion and extends coaxially downwardly therefrom.

Centrally of the top surface of the upper portion 21 of the plug P a boss 29 is arranged extends centrally through the entire plug P. V

A U-shaped spring 3| is made from bimetal of conventional type and is provided in its bottom element 32 with a hole 32, The boss 29 extends through this hole and is riveted over to secure the bimetal spring 3| permanently on the plug P. The two arms 33 of said spring extend upwardly into the valve housing [0 and on the upper end portion of each arm a pair of arcuate fingers 3 is formed, and each finger extends laterally from the respective arm 33. The length of the bimetal spring 3iv is such, that the valve plug 2| normally rests on the top end surfaces of the arcuate fingers '34, which partly surround the inverted cone 25.

The lower end portion 28 of the plug P threadedly engages one arm of an elbow 35 and a gasket 36 preferably made from lead is arranged about the lower end portion 28 of the plug P and is located between the shoulder 36 formedon said plug by the lower end portion and the upper end surface of the elbow 35. Before the elbow is mounted on the plug P a copper lining 31 is inserted into the counterbored lower portion of the air hole 38. On the lower end of the said lining a conical portion 38 is formed extending partway into the elbow, when the latter is mounted on the plug P. A nipple 39 is fitted into the horizontally arranged arm of the elbow 35 and a copper tubing insert 40 is arranged in the nipple 39 and extends outwardly therefrom.

When the air valve embodied herein has been assembled as described, it is mounted onto a radiator 4| by means of the nipple 39. The copper tubing insert extends into the radiator so that the heat from the radiator is transferred quickly through said insert, the elbow 35, the copper lining 31 and the air hole 33 to the bimetal spring 3!. This spring reacts to the heat by urging its arms 33 toward each other so that the fingers 34 engage the inverted cone lifting the valve body V and urging the valve ball 24 into contact with the valve seat 20 closing the air outlet hole [8.

v The copper lining facilitates the return of any condensed water in the air hole to the elbow 35. When comparatively cool air rises in the radiator 41 and travels through the elbow and the air hole 36 to the bimetal spring 3|, the arms 33 of said spring are urged away from each other permitting the valve body V and the valve 'ball 24 to drop by gravity downwardly into valve opening position. In order to prevent the valve ball 24 from sticking to the valve seat 26 in consequence of moisture adhering to said seat, the

valve body V is magnetized so that the ball 24 is positively moved into valve opening position, when the valve body V moves into such position. The channels formed by the comparatively small holes 16 and arranged about the valve stem 23 permit the air to escape without encountering any obstacle so that the hissing and whistling noises commonly occurring in air valves used heretofore are eliminated.

The air valve proper as embodied herein comprises onlyfour integral parts, namely the housing II], the cap l2, and the valve body V with the valve ball 24 adhering thereto, and the plug P with the bimetal spring permanently mounted thereon, and these parts are adapted to be disassembled and reassembled easily and readily.

I claim:

In an air valve for radiators, a tubular body interiorly screw-threaded at both ends, a vented plug threaded into the upper end of said body, a counter-bore in the inner end of the vent in said plug, a valve element within said counterbore, a thermal element within said body, a piston slidable within said body and supported on said thermal element, an axial extension projecting from said piston and engaged in said counter-bore and supporting said-valve element in its normally open position, a screw-threaded reducer plug having its larger end threaded into the lower end of said body, an elbow threaded on the smaller end of said reducer plug, and a nipple extending from said elbow for the attachment of the valve assembly to a radiator, said piston having peripheral passageways for the flow of air about the same from within said body to and outward through the said vent past said valve element, said piston being actuated by said thermal element to cause said extension to move said valve element to close said vent by said thermal element when it is activated by the heat of the heating medium admitted to the radiator, the said thermal element being in the form of a U-shaped bimetallic strip and having its lower end portion centrally apertured, arcuate cross members formed at the upper ends of theside portions of said thermal element upon which said piston is seated, a conical portion on the lower side of said piston depending between said arcuate members, said arcuate members being adapted to ride said conical portion to affect a lifting movement to said piston whenever said thermal element is activated to cause the closing of said valve element, and a boss formed on the upper end'of said reducer plugabout the bore therein and engaged through the said aperture and upset to secure said thermal element in place.

' FERDINAND ZIGANEK. J

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 430,448 Todd June 17, 1890 574,962 Van Auken June 12, 1897 1,478,028 Decker Dec. 18, 1923 1,793,458 Alexander Feb, 24, 1931 1,868,541 Okell July 26, 1932 

